5:  W5 


Tl 


on 


AN  ACCOUNT 


OF    THE 


¥fiITIIGS  OF  ROGER  WILLIAMS. 


"  RoGEn  WiixiAMs,"  snjs  Professor  Gervinus,  in  his  recent 

in  rocmction  to  the  History  of  the  Nineteenth  Century,  "foun- 

cled,  in  16bG,  a  small  new  society  in  Rhode  Island/upon  tlie 

^^prmciples  of  entire  liberty  of  conscience,  and  the  nncontrohed 

.     power  ot_  the  majority  in  secular  concerns.     TJie  tlieories  of 

^^  freedom  m  churcli  and  state,  taught  in  the  schools  of  philoso- 
phy m  J^urope,  were  here  brought  into  practice  in  the  o-ov- 
eminent  of  a  small  community.  It  was  prophesied  that^the 
c  emocratic  att<?mpts  to  obtain  universal  su^-age,  a  general 
elective  frnndiise,  annual  parliaments,  entire  religious  freedom, 

^^  and  tlie  Miltonian  right  of  scliism,  would  be  of  short  duration! 
But  these  institutions  have  not  only  maintained  themselves 

^^  Here,  but  have  spread  over  the  whole  union.     They  have  su- 

^perseued  tne  aristocratic  commencements  of  Carolina  and  of 
^ew  iork   the  high-church  party  in  Virginia,  the  tlieocracy 

^111  IVl^issachusetts,    and  the  monarchy  throughout  America; 

^  they  have  given  laws  to  one  quarter  of  the  globe,  and,  dreaded 
foi  their  moral  influence,  they  stand  in  the  background  of 
every  democratic  strurrgle  in  Europe." 


M55894fJ 


L^C^ 


The  quotation  which  we  have  here  introduced,  taken  from  the 
work  of  a  distinguished  European  scholar  and  pohtician,  is  a 
just  tribute  to  Roger  WiUiams  as  the  founder  of  a  democratic 
form  of  government.  That  the  pubhshed  writings  of  one  wliose 
principles  are  thus  exteudmg  their  influence  tlu'oughout  the 
civihzed  world,  should  attract  increasing  interest  and  attention, 
is  not  sui'prising.  They  are  varied  in  their  character,  and  fully 
illustrate  the  life  and  opinions  of  the  author ;  yet  to  the  gen- 
eral reader  they  are  inaccessible,  and,  m  consequence,  are  but 
little  known.  Indeed,  not  even  their  titles  are  to  be  found  in 
our  ordinary  bibliographical  manuals  and  dictionaries.  Lowndes 
and  Watts  give,  in  brief,  the  title  merely  of  his  "  Key,"  the  lat- 
ter devoting  to  it  less  than  two  lines.  Rich,  in  his  "  Bibliotheca 
Americana,"  gives  the  title  in  full,  but  describes  no  other  work.  • 
Ebert  and  Brunet  do  not  even  mention  his  name.  The  same  is 
true  of  Rose,  in  his  "New  General  Biographical  Dictionary," 
while  the  great  "  Biographie  Universelle "  gives  only  a  brief 
notice  of  his  life,  barely  alluding  to  but  three  of  his  productions. 
No  library  in  the  world  contains  copies  of  all  his  works  in  their 
original  editions.  The  library  of  Brown  University,  which  is 
the  largest  and  best  library  in  the  State,  contains  only  five  of  his 
Avorks,  and  for  three  of  these  it  is  indebted  to  the  recent  hber- 
ality  of  Mr.  John  Carter  Brown.  In  the  private  library  of  this 
gentleman,  are  to  be  found  likewise  copies  of  the  same,  and,  of 
several  of  them,  duplicate  copies. 

On  account  therefore  of  the  great  rarity  and  value  of  the 
published  writings  of  Roger  Williams,  we  have  ventured  to  pre- 
pare the  following  brief  description  of  them,  v\-ith  the  hope  that 
measures  may  ere  long  be  taken  to  have  them  republished 
in  four  or  five  "liandsome  octavo  volumes.  Accompanied  by 
Knowles'  excellent  Memoir,  now  entirely  out  of  print,  or  the 
more  popular  and  attractive  Life  by  Prof.  Gammell,  they  would 
constitute  a  "  monument "  to  his  genius  and  worth  more  fitting 
and  enduring  than  "  storied  urn,"  or  sculptured  marble. 

I.  The  earliest  published  work  of  Mr.  Williams,  bears  the 
following  title  : 

"  A  Key  into  the  Language  of  America,  or  an  Help  to  the 
"  Lansuaae  of  the  Natives  in  that  Part  of  America  called  New 


"  England  ;  together  with  briefe  Observations  of  the  Customes, 
"  Manners  and  Worships,  &c.  of  the  aforesaid  Natives,  in  Peace 
"  and  Warre,  in  Life  and  Death.  On  all  which  are  added  spir- 
"  ituall  Observations,  generall  and  particular,  by  the  Authour, 
"  of  chiefe  and  speciall  use  (upon  all  occasions)  to  all  the  Eng- 
"  lish  inhabiting  those  Parts  ;  yet  pleasant  and  profitable  to  the 
"  View  of  all  Men.  By  Roger- Williams  of  Providence  in  New 
"  England.     London,  printed  by  Gregory  Dexter.  1643." 

This  work  was  written  at  sea,  on  his  first  voyage  to  England, 
in  'the  Summer  of  16-13,  as  a  help  to  his  own  memory,  that  he 
might  not  lightly  lose,  as  he  remarks  in  the  prefiice,  what  he  had 
so  dearly  bought  "in  some  few  yeares  hardship  and  charges 
among  the  barbarians."  It  comprises,  two  hundred  and  sixteen 
small  duodecimo  pages,  including  preface  and  table,  and  is  dedi- 
cated to  his  "  deare  and  well-beloved  friends  and  country-men  in 
Old  and  New  England."  It  is  by  far  the  best  known  of  Mr. 
Williams'  works,  and  is  still  of  the  highest  authority  respecting 
the  subject  of  which  it  treats.  The  greater  part  of  it  has  been 
republished  in  the  third  and  fifth  volumes  of  the  first  series  of 
the  Collections  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society.  It  is 
also  contained  entire  in  the  first  volume  of  the  Collections  of  the 
Rhode  Island  Historical  Society.  A  copy  of  the  oi'iginal  edition 
is  in  the  Bodleian  Library  at  Oxford,  and  in  the  British  Museum  ; 
also  in  the  library  of  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  sup- 
posed by  Prof.  Knowles,  when  his  Memoir  was  published,  to  be 
the  only  one  in  the  country.  Copies  are  likewise  to  be  found  in 
the  libraries  of  Harvard  College,  Brown  University,  and  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society  at  Worcester.  Mr.  Brown  has 
also  several  copies  in  excellent  preservation. 

"  This  singular,  and,  as  it  has  been  represented,  exceedingly 
"  copious  and  versatile  language  has  been  made,"  says  Prof. 
"  Gammell,  "the  subject  of  much  curious  inquiry  among  the 
"  philologists  of  our  own  and  of  other  lands.  The  people  who 
"  SDoke  it  have  lonn;  since  vanished  from  the  hills  and  forests 
"  of  New  England ;  but  the  language  itself  has  survived  them 
"  in  the  pious  though  humble  labors  of  their  benefactors.  Spec- 
"  imens  of  its  endless  words  and  its  unique  structure  are  still  to 
"  be  found  in  the  "  Key,"  which  Williams  wrote,  in  the  "  Gram- 


"  mar"  of  John  Eliot,  and  especially  in  the  few  scattered  cop- 
"  ies  that  remain  of  the  Indian  Bible,  which  the  noble-minded 
"  apostle  toiled  away  the  best  years  of  his  life  in  translatmg." 

II.  The  second  work  which  Mr.  Williams  published  is  en- 
titled, "  Mr.  Cotton's  Letter*  lately  printed,  examined  and 
"  answered.  By  Roger  Wilhams,  of  Providence,  in  New  Eng- 
"land.  London.  Imprmted  in  the  yeere  1644."  It  is  a  small 
quarto  of  forty-seven  pages,  preceded  by  an  address  of  two 
pages  "  To  the  Impartiall  Reader,"  commencing  as  follows : 

"  This  Letter  I  acknowledge  to  have  received  from  Mr.  Cot- 
"  ton  (whom  for  his  personall  excellencies  I  truly  honour  and 
"  love.)  Yet«at  such  a  time  of  my  distressed  wanderings  amonrrst 
"the  Barbarians,  that  being  destitute  of  food,  of  cloths,  of  time 
"  I  reserved  it  (though  hardly,  amidst  so  many  barbarous  distrac- 
"  tions)  and  afterward  prepax'ed  an  answer  to  be  returned." 

"  In  the  interim,  some  friends  being  much  grieved,  that  one, 
"publikely  acknowledged  to  be  godly  and  dearely  beloved, 
"  should  yet  be  so  exposed  to  the  mercy  of  an  howling  wilder- 
"nesse  in  frost  and  snow,  &c.,  Mr.  Cotton  to  take  off  the  edg  of 
*'  Censure  from  himself,  profest  both  in  speech  and  writing,  that 
"  he  was  no  procurer  of  my  sorrows." 

"  Some  letters  then  past  between  us,  in  which  I  proved  and 
"  exprest,  that  if  I  had  perished  in  that  sorrowfull  Winter's  flight ; 
"  only  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ  could  have  washed  him  from  the 
"guilt  of  mine." 

"  His  finall  answer  was,  had  you  perished,  your  blood  had 
"  beene  on  your  owne  head ;  it  was  your  sinne  to  procure  it, 
"  and  your  sorrow  to  suffer  it." 

"  Here  I  confesse  I  stopt,  and  ever  since  supprest  mine  answer ; 
"  waiting  if  it  might  please  the  father  of  mercies,  more  to  molifie 
"  and  soften,  and  render  more  humane  and  mercifull,  the  care 
"  and  heart  of  that  (otherwise)  excellent  and  worthy  man." 

"  It  cannot  now,  be  justly  offensive,  that  finding  this  letter 
"  publike  (by  whose  procvirement  I  know  not)  I  also  present  to 
"  the  same  publike  view,  mj'-  formerly  intended  answer." 

The  foregoing  extract  from  the  address  to  the  reader  conveys 
a  good  idea  of  the  nature  and  character  of  the  work.  Tlie  opin- 
ions of  the  author  are  marked  by  great  clearness,  and  his  argu- 
ments are  presented  with  the  vigor  and  earnestness  which  char- 


acterize  all  his  productions.     The  following  is  the  title   of  the 
letter  to  which  it  is  a  reply : 

"  A  Letter  of  Mr.  John  Cottons,  Teacher  of  the  Church  in 
*'  Boston,  in  New  England,  to  Mr.  Williams,  a  Preacher  there ; 
*'  wherein  is  shewed,  that  those  ought  to  be  received  into  the 
"  Church  who  are  godly,  though  they  doe  not  see,  nor  expressly 
*'  bewaile  all  the  pollutions  in  Church-fellowship,  Ministry,  Wor- 
*'  ship.  Government.  Imprmiatur,  John  Bachiler.  Printed  at 
*'  London  for  Benjamin  Allen,  1643."  It  consists  of  thirteen 
small  quarto  pages.  Li  it,  the  author  vindicates  the  act  of  the 
magistrates  in  banishino;  Roffer  Williams  from  Massachusetts, 
though  he  denies  that  he  himself  had  ai;y  agency  in  it.  Both 
the  Letter  of  Cotton  and  Mr.  Williams'  Reply  are  exceeding- 
ly rare.  Good  copies  of  each  are  in  the  Library  of  Brown 
tlniversity,  and  in  Mr.  Brown's  private  library.  A  somewhat 
mutilated  copy  of  the  Reply  is  also  in  the  Library  of  Yale  College. 
It  is  doubtful  whether  there  are  other  copies  to  be  found  in  the 
country,  at  least  in  any  of  our  public  libraries.  Two  copies  of  the 
Reply  are  in  England ;  one  in  the  British  Museum,  and  one  in 
the  Bodleian  Libx'ary,  the  latter  being  also  mutilated.  In  1848 
it  was  republished  by  the  Hanserd  Knolly's  Society,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  "  Bloudy  Tenent."  This  volume  also,  which  is  a 
handsome  octavo  of  four  hundred  and  eighty-five  pages,  is  now 
out  of  print,  and  very  scarce. 

III.  His  next  publication  is  entitled,  *'  The  Bloudy  Tenent 
"  of  Persecution,  for  Cause  of  Conscience,  discussed,  in  a  Con- 
*'  ference  betweene  Truth  and  Peace,  who,  in  all  tender  Affec- 
"  tion,  present  to  the  High  Court  of  Parliament,  (as  the  Result 
"  of  their  Discourse,)  these,  (amongst  other  Passages)  of  the 
"  highest  Consideration.  .  Printed  in  the  year  1644."  It  is  a 
small  quarto  volume,  without  the  name  of  the  writer  or  the  pub- 
lisher, and  comprises  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  pages  of  text, 
besides  twenty-four  pages  of  table  and  introduction.  In  the 
Library  of  Brown  University,  are  two  copies  of  the  work,  which 
appear  to  be  different  editions  although  printed  during  the  same 
year.  There  is  a  slight  difference  in  the  type  and  orthography 
of  the  title  page,  and  of  the  headings  of  some  of  the  chapters. 
The  earlier  copy  also  contains  a  list  of  errata  at  the  end,  which  are 
corrected  in  the  later  edition.  In  all  other  respects  the  two 
copies  are  precisely  alilie. 


This-  work  owes  its  origin  to  a  very  interesting  circumstance. 
In  the  fii*st  volume  of  the  pubKcations  of  the  Hanserd  Knolly's 
Society,  may  be  found  a  piece  entitled,  "  An  Humble  Supplica- 
"  tion  to  the  King's  Majesty,  as  it  was  presented,  1620."  "This," 
says  Mr.  Underbill,  "  was  a  Baptist  production!"  It  is  a  well 
arranged,  clear  and  concise  argument  against  persecution,  and 
for  liberty  of  conscience.  It  was  written  by  one  imprisoned  in 
Newgate  for  conscience'  sake.  So  rigid  was  his  confinement 
that  paper,  pens,  and  ink  were  denied  him.  He  had  recourse, 
therefore,  to  sheets  of  paper,  sent  by  a  fi-iend  in  London,  as 
stoppers  to  the  bottle  containing  his  daily  allowance  of  milk. 
He  wrote  his  thoughts  in  milk,  on  the  paper  thus ■  provided,  and 
returned  them  to  his  friend  in  the  same  Way.  It  is  well  known 
that  writing  of  this  kind  becomes  legible  by  holding  it  to  tlie 
fire.  * 

From  this  treatise  were  taken  those  arguments  against  perse- 
cution, which,  being  replied  to"  by  Mr.  Cotton,  gave  rise  to  the 
work  of  Mr.  Williams,  and  which  he  has  so  significantly  called, 
in  reference  to  Cotton's  views  as  opposed  to  the  mild  doctrines  of 
toleration,  "  The  Bloudy  Tenent  of  Persecution  Discussed." 
It  was  written  while  he  was  occupied  in  obtaining  the  Charter 
for  Rhode  Island.  In  many  parts  it  bears  evident  tokens  of 
haste,  and  occasional  obscurities  show  that  he  had  no  time  to 
amend  his  work.  Indeed,  he  tells  us  that  these  discussions  were 
prepared  in  London,  "for  publike  view,  in  change  of  roomes 
"  and  corners,  yea,  sometimes  in  variety  of  strange  houses, 
"  sometimes  in  the  fields,  in  the  midst  of  travel ;  where  he  hath 
"  been  forced  to  gather  and  scatter  his  loose  thoughts  and 
"  papers."  It  is  nevertlueless  considered  to  be  the  best  written 
of  all  his  works.  The  doctrines  of  religious  freedom  are  fully 
set  forth,  the  style  is  throughout  animated,  and  tlie  page  is 
adorned  with  frequent  images  of  great  beauty.  It  was  repub- 
lished, as  has  already  been  stated,  in  the  year  1848,  by  the 
Hanserd  Knolly's  Society,  with  an  introduction  of  forty-six 
pages  by  Edward  Bean  Underbill.  But  few  copies  of  the  orig- 
inal edition  are  known  to  exist.  Two  are  in  England  ;  one  in 
the  British  jNIuseum,  and  one  in  the  Bodleian  Library.  Six 
copies  are  in  this  country ;  two  in  the  Library  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity ;  two  in  Mr.  Brown's  library  ;  one  copy  in  the  Library 
of  Harvard  College,  and  one  in  the  library  of  Colonel  Aspiuall, 
of  Boston,  former] V  American  Consul  at  London. 


IV.  Mr.  William's  fourth  publication  was  a  rejoinder  to  a 
work  written  by  Mr.  Cotton  in  reply  to  the  "  Bloudy  Tenent," 
and  published  in  1647.  The  following  is  the  title  of  Cotton's 
reply  :  "  The  Bloudy  Tenent,  washed,  and  made  white  in  the 
"  Blond  of  the  Lambe ;  being  discussed  and  discharged  of  Bloud- 
"  Guiltinesse  by  just  Defence.  Wherein  the  great  questions  of 
"  this  present  time  are  handled,  viz.  How  farre  Liberty  of  Con- 
"  science  ought  to  be  given  to  those  that  truly  feare  God  ?  And 
"  how  farre  restrained  to  turbulent  and  pestilent  persons,  that 
"  not  only  raze  the  Foundation  of  Godlinesse,  but  disturb  the 
"  Civill  Peace  where  they  live  ?  Also  how  farre  the  Magistrate 
"may  proceed  in  the  Duties  of  the  first  Table?  And  that  all 
."Magistrates  ought  to  study  the  Word  and  Will  of  God,  that 
"  they  may  frame  their  Government  according  to  it.  *  *  *  * 
"  Whereunto  is  added  a  Reply  to  Mr.  Williams  Answer  to' Mr, 
"  Cotton's  Letter.  By  John  Cotton,  Batchelor  in  Divinity,  and 
"  Teacher  of  the  Church  of  Christ  at  Boston  in  New  England." 
The  work  comprises  one  hundred  and  forty-four  small  quarto 
pages.  It  was  published  in  London,  and  printed  by  Matthew 
Symmons  for  Hannah  Allen. 

The  following  is  the  title  of  Mr.  Williams'  rejoinder  to  the 
foregoing,  which  is  sufficiently  descriptive  of  its  contents.  "  The 
"  Bloody  Tenent  yet  more  Bloody,  by  Mr.  Cotton's  Endevour 
"  to  wash  it  white  in  the  Blood  of  the  Lambe  ;  of  whose  pre- 
"  cious  Blood  spilt  in  the  Blood  of  his  Servants,  and  of  the 
"  Blood  of  Millions  spilt  in  former  and  later  Wars  for  Consci- 
"  ence  Sake,  that  most  Bloody  Tenent  of  Persecution  for  Cause 
"  of  Conscience,  upon  a  Second  Tryal,  is  found  now  more  ap- 
"  parently  and  more  notoriously  guilty.  In  this  Rejoinder  to 
"  Mr.  Cotton  are  principally, 

"  1.     The  Nature  of  Persecution,  )  .      , 

"  2.     The  Power  of  the  Civill  Sword  In  Spirituals,  \  e^'in^ined; 

"  3.  The  Parliaments  Permission  of  Dissenting  Consciences 
"justified.  Also  (as  a  Testimony  to  Mr.  Clarks'  Narrative)  is 
"  added  a  Letter  to  Mr.  Endicot,  Governor  of  the  Massachusets 
"  in  N.  E.  By  R.  Williams  of  Providence  in  New-England. 
"  London,  printed  for  Giles  Calvert,  and  are  to  be  sold  at  the 
"  Black-Spread-Eagle,  at  the  West-End  of  Pauls,  1652."  It  is 
a  small  quarto  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-three  pages,  inclu-. 
dincj  the  introduction  and  table  of  contents.     This  work  discus- 


"8 

ses  the  same  great  questions  as  the  preceding,  and  maintains  the 
same  views,  -with  additional  argimients.  "  Both,"  says  Prof. 
Gammell,  "  are  pervaded  with  a  mildness  quite  unusual  in  the 
"  controversial  Avritings  of  that  day,  and  are  enriched  with  an 
"  amount  of  learning  that  does  credit  to  the  varied  scholarship 
"  of  their  author."  Tliis  second  work  is  even  more  rare  than 
the  first.  There  are  two  copies  in  the  Library  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity,— one  of  which,  the  bequest  of  the  Rev.  Isaac  Backus, 
is  a  presentation  copy  from  the  author  to  his  friend  and  fellow 
laborer  in  the  service  of  the  Colony,  Dr.  John  Clarke,  of  New- 
port. It  contains,  on  the  fly-leaf,  the  following  inscription  in  his 
own  hand-writing.  "  For  his  honoured  &  beloved  Mr.  John 
"  Clarke,  an  eminent  Witnes  of  Chi'ist  Jesus  ag*'  y^  bloodie  Doc-  • 
"  trine  of  Persecution  &c."  Mr.  Brown  has  likewise  a  copy  in 
good  preservation.  In  the  Libraiy  of  Harvard  College  is  a  thin 
book  which  purports  to  be  a  copy  of  this  work,  but  it  contains, 
says  Knowles,  only  the  Preface  and  Dedicatory  Epistles. 

V.  In  the  same  year  in  which  the  last  mentioned  work  was 
published,  j\Ir.  Williams  printed  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  "  The 
"  Hireling  Ministry  None  of  Christ's,  or  a  Discourse  touching 
"  the  Propagating  the  Gospel  of  Christ  Jesus.  Humbly  pre- 
"  sented  to  such  pious  and  honorable  Hands,  whom  the  present 
"  Debate  thereof  concerns.  By  Roger  Williams,  of  Providence, 
"  in  New-England.  London :  printed  in  the  Second  Month, 
"  1652."  It  is  a  small  quarto,  of  thirty-six  pages  of  text  and 
eight  pages  of  introductory  matter.  Only  four  copies  are  known 
to  exist  in  this  country,  viz. :  two  copies  in  the  Library  of  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society,  at  Worcester,  one  copy  in  the 
Library  of  Brown  University,  and  one  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Brown.  In  the  Library  founded  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Williams,  of 
London,  is  also  a  copy. 

This  pamphlet  is  extremely  valuable,  because  it  contains  a 
clearer  exposition  of  Mr.  Williams'  views  respecting  the  minis- 
try, than  any  other  of  his  woi'ks.  It  begins  with  an  "  Epistle 
"Dedicatory,  to  all  such  honorable  and  pious  hands,  whom  the 
"present  debate  touching  the  propagating  of  Christ's  Gospel 
"  concerns  ;  and  to  all  such  gentle  Bereans,  who,  with  ingenious 
."  civility,  desire  to  search,  what's  presented  concerning  Jesus 
^'Christ  be  so  or  not."     In  it  the  author  says  of  himself,  "I 


'^  have  not  been  altogether  a  stranger  to  the  learning  of  the 
"  I^gypti^i^^i  ^^^'^  ^''^^^  ^^^^^^  ^^^^  hopeful  lest  paths  to  worldly  pre- 
*'  ferment,  which,  for  Christ's  sake  I  have  forsaken.  I  know 
■"  what  it  is  to  study,  to  preach,  to  be  an  elder,  to  be  applauded  ; 
"  and  yet  also  what  it  is  to  tug  at  the  oar,  to  dig  with  the  spade 
"  and  plow,  and  to  labor  and  to  tmvel  day  and  night  amongst 
"  English,  amongst  barbarians  !  Why  should  I  not  be  humbly 
"  bold  to  give  my  witness  faithfully,  to  give  ray  counsel  efFectu- 
"  ally,  and  to  persuade  with  some  truly  pious  and  conscientious 
"  spirits,  rather  to  turn  to  law,  to  physick,  to  soldiery,  to  educa- 
"  ting  of  children,  to  digging  (and  yet  not  cease  from  prophesy- 
•"  ing)  rather  than  to  live  under  the  slavery,  yea  under  the 
"censure  (from  Christ  Jes^isand  his  saints  and  others  also)  of  a 
"  mercenary  and  hireling  ministry." 

■  The  purpose  of  the  work  appears  to  be,  to  oppose  a  legal 
establishment  of  rehgion,  and  the  compulsory  support  of  the 
clergy.  The  principal  points  mahitained  are :  1.  Neither  the 
"  beg-etting  ministry"  of  the  Apostles  to  the  nations,  nor  the 
"feeding  and  nourishing  ministr}'"  of  pastors  and  teachers,  ac- 
cording to  the  first  institutions  of  the  Lord  Jesus  is  now,  extant. 
2.  There  ought  to  be  a  perfect  liberty  to  all  men  to  maintain 
such  worship  and  ministry  as  they  please.  3.  Ministers  ought 
to  be  supported  by  voluntary  donations,  and  not  by  legal  pro- 


VI.  At  the  time  when  the  foregoing  pamphlet  was  pub- 
lished, Mr.  Williams  also  printed  the  one  which  is  here  presented 
to  the  [)ublic.  For  the  sake  of  uniformity  we  repeat  the  title, 
in  this  connection,  as  follows  :  "'  Experiments  of  Spiritual  Life 
"  and  Health  and  their  Preservatives,  in  which  the  Aveakest 
"  Child  of  God  may  get  Assurance  of  his  Spirituall  Life  and 
"  Blessednesse,  and  the  strongest  may  finde  proportionable  Dis- 
^'  coveries  of  his  Christian  Growth  and  the  Means  of  it.  By 
"  Roger  Williams  of  Providence  in  New  England.  London  : 
"  Printed  in  the  second  month,  1G52." 

It  is  in  the  form,  as  will  be  seen,  of  a  letter  to  his  wife,  Mary, 
upon  her  recovery  from  a  dangerous  sickness,  beginning  with, 
"  My  dearest  love  and  companion  in  this  vale  of  tears."  It 
comprises  sixty  small  quarto  pages,  including  the  introductory 
matter.     A  very  limited  edition  was  probably  published  at  the 


10 

time,  mostly  for  distribution  among  the  author's  friends.  Hence 
the  work  has  become  well  nigh  extinct.  Prof.  Knowles,  in  his 
Memoir  of  Roger  Wilhams,  published  in  1834,  says  of  it,  "No 
"  copy  has  come  to  our  knowledge."  Prof.  Gammell,  in  his 
Life,  published  in  1845,  says  the  same.  Prof.  Elton,  in  his 
little  Memoir  of  Williams,  pubhshed  in  1852,  says,  "  After  dili- 
"  gent  inquiry,  the  writer  is  not  aware  that  more  than  one  copy 
"  of  this  work  now  exists."  Mr.  Elton  probably  refers  to  the 
copy  in  the  possession  of  Colonel  Aspinall,  formerly  American 
Consul  at  London.  The  copy  of  which  this  is  a  reprint,  belongs 
to  the  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia,  being  the  gift  of 
Zachariah  Poulson,  Jun.  It  is  bound  into  a  collection  of  old 
pamphlets,  and  being  imperfectly  catalogued,  has  until  now  eluded 
the  search  of  biographers  and  antiquaries. 

VII.  The  last  of  Roger  Williams'  published  writings  is  the 
account  of  the  Controversy  he  had  with  the  Quakers.  It  was 
printed  at  Boston,  in  1676,  and  bears  the  following  title : 
"  George  Fox  digg'd  out  of  his  Bvirrowes,  or  an  Offer  of  Dispu- 
tation on  fourteen  Proposalls,  made  this  last  Summer,  1672,  (so 
call'd)  imto  G.  Fox,  then  present  on  Rode  Island,  in  New  Eng- 
land, by  R.  W.  As  also  how  (G.  Fox  slily  departing)  the 
Disputation  went  on,  being  managed  three  days  at  Newport  on 
Rhode  Island,  and  one  day  at  Providence,  between  John  Stubbs, 
John  Burnett,  and  William  Edmundson,  on  the  one  Part,  and 
R.  W.  on  the  other.  In  which  many  Quotations  out  of  G.  Fox 
and  Ed.  Burrowe's  Book  in  Folio  are  alleadged.  With  an  Ap- 
pendix, of  some  Scores  of  G.  F.,  his  simple  lame  answers  to  his 
Opposites  in  that  Book  quoted  and  replyed  to.  B}^  R.  W.,  of 
Providence,  in  N.  E.     Boston,  printed  by  John  Foster,  16T6." 

Like  most  of  his  other  writings  it  is  in  siimll  quarto,  and  com- 
prises three  hundred  and  twenty-seven  pages.  Its  execution  is 
creditable  to  the  American  press  at  that  early  day.  The  only 
copy  of  it  known  to  exist  is  the  one  contained  in  the  Library  of 
Harvard  College. 

Mr.  Williams,  in  writing  this  book,  used  a  style  of  contempt- 
uous bitterness  which  seems  not  to  have  been  natural  to  him. 
Mr.  Fox  and  Mr.  Burnett  replied  in  the  same  strain,  though 
with  more  coarseness.  Their  book  is  a  quarto  of  four  hundred 
and  eighty-nine  pages,  entitled,  "  A  New  England  Firebrand 
Quenched,"  &c.     It  would  be  well,  says  Prof.  Knowles,  for  the 


11 

deputation  of  all  parties,  if  both  of  these  works  could  be  forgotten. 
In  referring  to  this  controversj,  we  must  avoid  confounding  the 
fanatical  extravao;ances  of  some  of  the  adherents  of  George  Fox, 
at  that  period,  in  New  England,  which  were  generally  regarded 
as  injurious  to  the  morals  and  order  of  society,  with  the  princi- 
ples of  the  large  and  influential  denomination  of  Friends,  so 
called,  at  the  present  day.        * 

We  have  thus  given  a  brief  account  of  all  the  printed  books 
of  Roger  Williams  Avhich  are  known  to  be  extant.  Several  of  his 
treaties,  and  among  them  the  essay  concerning  the  patent,  which 
excited  the  displeasure  of  the  magistrates  in  Massachusetts  before 
his  banishment,  were  not,  it  is  presumed,  published.  In  a  letter 
to  Gov.  Bradstreet,  of  Boston,  dated  May  6,  1682,  he  speaks  of 
a  collection  of  heads  of  discourses  preached  to  the  "  Scattered 
English  at  Narragansett "  which  he  ha4  reduced  to  writing  with 
a  view  to  publication.  Search  has  been  made  for  these  discourses, 
but  thus  far  they  have  not  been  brought  to  light. 

The  Letters  of  Mr.  Williams  were  numerous,  as  he  held  an 
extensive  correspondence  with  the  leading  men  of  his  day.  Many 
of  these  Letters  have  been  published  in  Knowles  and  Elton's  Me- 
moirs, Staples'  Annals  of  Providence,  and  the  Collections  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society.  Others  are  scattered  about, 
in  the  possession  of  individuals,  or  in  places  of  public  deposit. 
A  large  number  have  recently  been  found  among  the  family 
papers  of  his  friend.  Governor  Winthrop.  These  will  soon  be 
printed  under  the  auspices  of  the  said  Society.  It  is  earnestly 
hoped  that  the  Life,  Works  and  Correspondence  of  Roger  Wil- 
liams, edited  by  a  competent  person,  may  ere  long  be  given  to 
the  public,  constituting  a  "  Monument "  worthy  of  the  genius 
and  character  of  the  Founder  of  Rhode  Island,  the  Founder  of 
the  Baptist  denomination  in  America,  and  the  great  advocate  of 
Civil  and  Religious  Freedom. 

R.  A.  GUILD. 

Library  of  Brown  University,  Dec.  10th,  1862. 


14  DAY  USE 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

RENEWALS  ONLY — TEL.  NO.  642-3405 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


rn:  '. 


BBTDiQ 


^S^^7|.]iAM 


D 


APR  1 9  1S71  4  9 


BFn'ninMAY2,871-12AM35 


peCl2l9?<7  0 


g*Cp87 


Me  i  jv» 


h 


LD21A-60m-3,'70 
(N5382sl0)476-A-32 


General  Library 

Uoiversity  of  California 

Berkeley 


I 


